Comic Book Casting: The LOBO Movie

Like a needle dropping on to a playing record, DC’s Lobo has always played to a different drummer than the superhero stalwarts. A pale-faced, frizzled hair bounty hunter doesn’t quite blend in to the Justice League, nor should he. In many ways, Lobo is the crazy DC counterpart to Marvel’s Deadpool, predating him by over a dozen years. For the past few years DC have been attempting to get a Lobo feature film fired up, but Lobo ain’t one to wait — especially for those Hollywood bastiches. Let’s tell them how to do it.

The Concept:

Lobo would be a different kind of superhero movie than Superman or the Marvel mold of movies. It’s a Tim-Burton-meets-John-Carpenter kind of thing. It’s Dog The Bounty Hunter in space, and would be the polar opposite of everything Green Lantern was — especially in the quality department.

For story, we could have Lobo be hired by his friend Ramona to track down some sort of macguffin. Once finding it, he can find out that him and Ramona were duped by a virilous Vril Dox — one of DC’s greatest underused villains — to get the item for use as some sort of larger plan. Maybe people appeal to Lobo to be some sort of hero to stop Vril Dox’s plans, with Lobo only going after him not to be a hero but to get revenge.

The Director:

Last month Deadline broke the news that DC had tapped direcor Brad Peyton (Journey 2) to helm a Lobo feature, but to me that’s a rather milquetoast choice for someone like Lobo. Instead, I’d get someone to match the alien bounty hunter — someone like Rob Zombie. Zombie has a long history with comics, with their imagery being used often in his music and film work. Rob Zombie would be a sort of muscle-bound Tim Burton, blending black humor, octane-fueled action and craziness (without being crazy) into one of the most fun superhero movies around.

The Cast:

Lobo – Joel Edgerton: Edgerton really impressed me with his starring role in The Warrior, and after going back and watching him in Animal Kingdom I knew he was destined for something greater. I admit Lobo might be a different kind of role for Edgerton, but he seems to have a big personality just waiting to get out and I think he could surely bring the physicality the Main Man needs.

Ramona – Queen Latifah: Ramona was always a unique character in the Lobo equation, and she’d be a quirky and unique character to bring into play here. As owner of bail bonds agency / unisex salon, she can really take care of you in more ways than one. And bringing in someone atypical like Queen Latifah would be an interesting thing to flesh out the character and play off of Lobo.

Vril Dox – Owen Wilson: Owen Wilson’s made his mark in movies playing the wise-cracking good guy, but I think should push it into full on villain mode and become the guy everybody hates. You don’t have to delve to much into his ties as the son of Braniac, but imagine him as the smartest guy in the room going off against someone like Lobo who is more street smart than brain smart.

Comments

  1. Sorry, but attempting to picture anyone beside Ron Perlman as Lobo just makes the whole scenario collapse for me.

  2. I don’t know why people say Ron Perlman other than they’ve seen him in a shit ton of make up as Hellboy. This is the first time I’ve seen Joel Edgerton recommended and now I’m all for it. Great casting.

  3. I like the casting choices, especially Owen Wilson.

  4. Queen Latifah seems nice enough, but I haven’t seen her in a role that wasn’t completely annoying.

  5. i think mickey rourke as lobo. or maybe jason momoa. i liked him in the new conan movie.
    wilson as dox seems cool.
    and the queen has gotten a lot prettier over the years. ever since chicago, it seems. a lot.

  6. Surely Jason Momoa was born to play Lobo?

  7. DC will consider a Lobo movie but not a Wonder Woman movie. What is going on at DC Comics?!?!?!?

  8. Wait… so you want to subject people to a movie with Owen Wilson AND Queen Latifah in it. When did you turn against the human race?

  9. Wait. I’ve got an idea. George Lopez’ as Lobo!

  10. Tyler Perry presents DC Entertainments’ LOBO starring Tyler Perry as Ramona.

  11. Edgar Wright would be the man to make the imagery and quirks work. Isn;t Kathleen Turner just actually Ramona, she is Ramona in flesh form. I like Latifah but not in most films. Maybe with a great director reining her in, but Kathy T has to get that role.

  12. Who,would pay to see this movie?

    • If Marvel’s Avengers has taught us anything it’s that big strong guys who fight are best in ensembles, not their own movies.

      Don’t get me wrong. I get Lobo’s appeal but he’s a scene stealer not a name over the marquee bastich.

  13. All good choices for a Lobo movie with the exception of Rob Zombie as director. After Devil’s Rejects, I thought he was going to make some interesting movies, but man alive, was I wrong! I don’t think he knows how to structure any character other than the villain. Of course, Lobo isn’t “the good guy”, yet he is a lovable jerk and Zombie couldn’t pull that off, I don’t think.

  14. For me the main man was never on my radar for the big screen, I think it would very difficult to do. Then I though about it again and if The Thor can have an incredible movie produced then there is hope for the super powerful and off worldly type characters. So go ahead add LOBO to my wish list to be on the big screen and I will be happier than I can say.
    The actors and actress cast for this movie in your list do not feel right to me at all and thats just my thought; I think we can do better. I just think they are are a little much for each of those rolls Queen is way beyond a roll like Ramona and Vril Dox is way beyond Owen Wilson sorry. As for Lobo?? I really think we need some one who can really live the role maybe the guy that plays Hellboy in the movies he seems pretty close to what is needed and is very similar to the Hellboy he plays on the big screen?….
    I also think that Lobo could be one of the antaganists in a JLA movie….. probably would be better for Lobo to be in a team movie instead of the whole deal. He could be out bounty hunting and have a contract on something called I don’t know…..maybe….. Starro??!!!!! He tracks it to Earth that little blue marble in the Milky Way galaxy…. I am telling you that would be a great start and the little Starro’s would translate very well on the big screen and Lobo finds out later he has bit off more then he can chew when he realizes Starro big ass is parked in the ocean and then after Aquaman confronts him with some tuff underwater fight scenes Aquaman is then possesed and so is Lobo in the process by Starro’s lil’ stars. Sorry here is a whole script for my JLA movie featuring some Lobo. This would be bas ass!!!!!!!

    K

  15. I think that Danny Treyo is the perfect Lobo!!!

  16. Michael Keaton, he can break out the Beetlejuice makeup, as I have always thought Lobo was similar to Beetlejuice.